The the past few weeks, as I've been watching and listening for God's orderly direction, both Thomas Merton and two-way prayer have come into view. Also, I keep being reminded of scheduling time with God for prayer and meditation.
I found Merton through Anne Lamott (who said something about Richard Rohr, who said something about Thomas Merton). I remember reading a book by her ages ago, where she talks about how God kept nipping at her feet, and she finally decided to stop running away from him. Remembrance of that story came to me over the past weeks as I very much relate to how she came to God and how I came back to God. So, once I actually remembered her name, I went looking for more info on her online, and read that she is actively in recovery work herself--she mentioned Richard Rohr significantly meaningful to her recovery. It was through beginning to listen to his book, Breathing Under Water, that I found Thomas Merton, who he mentions near the beginning of the book.
Then, last Sunday, a newcomer to the noon BBA emotional sobriety meeting mentioned she'd been listening to Mark H, who mentioned BBA, which is how she found her way to the meeting that day. So, I went searching on YouTube for Mark H, and began listening to his tapes. In the second one I listened to last week, he mentions Thomas Merton. So, in the span of two weeks, Thomas Merton was brought into my view.
Last Saturday, during my weekly time with my BBA step partner, she mentioned two-way prayer as something her sponsor turned her onto, and she was finding it useful. Last Sunday, during my weekly OA meeting, one fellow mentioned two-way prayer during their share. So, in the span of two days, two-way prayer was brought into my view.
Today's OA reading in Seeking the Spiritual Path was about prayer and meditation, of which comes the following, "The discipline of regular prayer and meditation is vital for my daily health." I expanded on why that spoke to me in the previous entry.
"The thing is to rely on God. The time will come when you will regard all this misery as a small price to pay for having been brought to that dependence. Meanwhile, the trouble is that relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done." —C.S. Lewis
So, instead of letting another day go by without taking steps towards what is obvious to me as GOD (good orderly direction), I went to my Hoopla app, and found a Merton book available on spiritual direction and meditation, and to the two-way prayer website to get guidance on that, as I begin to spend the time to put daily time with God into practice.
"Discipline is most important, and without it no serious meditation will ever be possible. But it should be one's own discipline, not a routine mechanically imposed from the outside." - Thomas Merton, Spiritual Direction and Meditation
I have my Monday, early morning weekly Bible study fellowship with my BFS Online group. Tomorrow will be my third week. I love it so much already. We've been studying the book of Isaiah, and God's patience, grace, and steadfastness. I have my Sunday morning weekly call with my OA sponsor, weekly OA meeting, and weekly BBA emotional sobriety meeting. I have my Saturday morning weekly call with my BBA step sponsor and my Monday night weekly BBA workshop. Additionally, on most Tuesday evenings after work, I go to my local domestic violence shelter for the support group (that's a story for another time).
So, I have actively built into my life, space for recovery and fellowship work; just nothing for God on a daily basis. I know I'm being called to change that."Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around Him." —Joyce Meyer
So, since I'm already getting up early on Monday mornings, continuing that same schedule on a daily basis seems the most logical and led space to hold that vitally important morning meeting. I have this little office space where I can pray and meditate in private and quiet. I can sit on the bench at my desk and look out the window, I can sit on the floor pad and use the bench as a desk (as I typically do), and I can carve out a little tucked away space in the closet under my hanging clothes during times I really want to not be fully noticed since there's not currently a door on the room.
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." - Matthew 6:6 ESV
